The effect of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction on the intestinal flora of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) was investigated using 16S rRNA sequencing technology. Sixty rats were randomly divided into a normal group(10 rats) and a modeling group(50 rats). After one week of adaptive feeding, a high-fat diet + streptozotocin was given for modeling, and fasting blood glucose >16.7 mmol·L~(-1) was considered a sign of successful modeling. The modeling group was randomly divided into the model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose groups of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction, and metformin group. After seven days of intragastric treatment, the feces, colon, and pancreatic tissue of each group of rats were collected, and the pathological changes of the colon and pancreatic tissue of each group were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The changes in the intestinal flora structure of each group were observed by the 16S rRNA sequencing method. The results showed that compared with the model group, the high-, medium-, and low-dose of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction reduced fasting blood glucose levels to different degrees and showed no significant changes in body weight. The number of islet cells increased, and intestinal mucosal damage attenuated. Alpha diversity analysis revealed that Huanglian Jiedu Decoction reduced the abundance and diversity of intestinal flora in rats with T2DM; at the phylum level, low-and mediam-dose of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction reduced the abundance of Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria, and Desulfobacterota and increased the abundance of Firmicute and Bacteroidota/Firmicutes, while the high-dose of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota/Firmicutes ratio, and decreaseal the relative; abundance of Firmicute; at the genus level, Huanglian Jiedu Decoction increased the relative abundance of Allobaculum, Blautia, and Lactobacillus; LEfse analysis revealed that the biomarker of low-and medium-dose groups of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction was Lactobacillus, and the structure of the intestinal flora of the low-dose group of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction was highly similar to that of the metformin group. PICRUSt2 function prediction revealed that Huanglian Jiedu Decoction mainly affected carbohydrate and amino acid metabolic pathways. It suggested that Huanglian Jiedu Decoction could reduce fasting blood glucose and increase the number of islet cells in rats with T2DM, and its mechanism of action may be related to increasing the abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing strains and Lactobacillus and affecting carbohydrate and amino acid metabolic pathways.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Rats ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Humans ; Bacteria/drug effects* ; Blood Glucose/metabolism*

As one of the chronic diseases with high incidence in contemporary society, cervical spondylosis has increasing patient groups who gradually present a low age, and it seriously affects social and public health. Although modern medicine has made great progress in the pathological research and clinical treatment of cervical spondylosis, patients still face gastrointestinal side effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs), neck pain, limited mobility, upper limb numbness, and other symptoms after conservative or surgical treatment. In the theory of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), cervical spondylosis belongs to the categories of "Bi syndrome" "stiff neck" "stiff Bi", etc. With the change of the times, the change of lifestyle, and the application of western medicine treatment, the etiology and pathogenesis of TCM in cervical spondylosis also show new characteristics. In terms of etiology and pathogenesis, it involves the invasion of wind, cold, and dampness, long-term strain, liver and kidney deficiency, Qi and blood stasis, which are associated with factors such as cervical degeneration, muscle tension and spasm, intervertebral disc herniation, and nerve root compression in modern medicine. In terms of the evolution of pathogenesis, in the early stage, wind, cold, and dampness, were more common in Xuanfu, resulting in unfavorable muscles and bones, poor flow of Qi and blood, and cervical spondylosis and radiculopathy. Medium-term phlegm stasis and internal knots, sluggish muscles and veins, and long-term weathering and fire are more likely to occur in the vertebral artery and sympathetic radiculopathy. In the later stage, the positive Qi is depleted; the true Yin is damaged, and the viscera Qi and blood are deficient, which is most common in cervical myelopathy. The strategy of treating cervical spondylosis with TCM classic formulas applies Gegen Decoction, Wutou Decoction, Qianghuo Shengshi Decoction, Mahuang Jiazhu Decoction to patients with wind, cold, and dampness. Patients with phlegm dampness and blood stasis are treated with Huoxue Xiaoling Dan, Jinlingzi Powder, Siwu Decoction, Banxia Baizhu Tianma Decoction, Shuanghe Decoction, etc. For those patients with liver, spleen, and kidney deficiency, Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction, Tianma Gouteng Decoction, Guishao Dihuang Pills, Shenling Baizhu Powder, and Lizhong Decoction are used to invigorate the spleen, nourish Qi and blood, and tonify liver and kidney. In clinical practice, the authors advocate a safe and effective treatment plan of classic formulas based on deficiency and excess, the integration of formulas and syndromes, and the combination of modern research results, so as to relieve symptoms, reduce recurrence, and reduce medical burden.
Humans ; Spondylosis/drug therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Cervical Vertebrae/pathology*

The genome tagging project (GTP) plays a pivotal role in addressing a critical gap in the understanding of protein functions. Within this framework, we successfully generated a human influenza hemagglutinin-tagged sperm-specific protein 411 (HA-tagged Ssp411) mouse model. This model is instrumental in probing the expression and function of Ssp411. Our research revealed that Ssp411 is expressed in the round spermatids, elongating spermatids, elongated spermatids, and epididymal spermatozoa. The comprehensive examination of the distribution of Ssp411 in these germ cells offers new perspectives on its involvement in spermiogenesis. Nevertheless, rigorous further inquiry is imperative to elucidate the precise mechanistic underpinnings of these functions. Ssp411 is not detectable in metaphase II (MII) oocytes, zygotes, or 2-cell stage embryos, highlighting its intricate role in early embryonic development. These findings not only advance our understanding of the role of Ssp411 in reproductive physiology but also significantly contribute to the overarching goals of the GTP, fostering groundbreaking advancements in the fields of spermiogenesis and reproductive biology.
Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Spermatids/metabolism* ; Spermatogenesis/physiology* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Thioredoxins/genetics*

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of β-catenin protein in the maintenance of malignant biological characteristics of pancreatic cancer stem cells.Methods Primary pancreatic cancer cells were isolated and cultured,then divided into the negative control(NC)group and the AD β-catenin group,cells in the NC group were transfected with negative empty vectors,and cells in the AD β-catenin group were transfected with β-catenin overexpression lentiviral vectors.Flow cytometry was used to analyze the expression of tumor stem cell surface markers CD24,CD44,and ESA.CD24+CD44+ESA+cells were sorted and expanded in culture,and their sphere-forming ability,colony-forming ability,proliferation ability,invasion ability and migration ability,cell cycle,and apoptosis were assessed.The impact of β-catenin overexpression on the biological characteristics of pancreatic cancer stem cells was analyzed.Results The relative expression levels of β-catenin mRNA and protein in the AD β-catenin group were significantly higher than those in the NC group(P=0.016,P=0.015).Flow cytometry analysis revealed that the percentage of CD24+and CD24+CD44+ESA+cells in the AD β-catenin group was significantly higher than that in the NC group(P<0.05).Compared with the NC group,the colony-forming ability,sphere-forming ability,numbers of invasion and migration of pancreatic cancer stem cells in the AD β-catenin group were significantly increased(P<0.05).The optical density(OD)values at 24 hours,48 hours,and 72 hours were significantly higher in the AD β-catenin group than those in the NC group(P<0.05).Compared with the NC group,the proportion of G0/G1 phase cells in the AD β-catenin group was significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the proportion of S phase cells was increased(P<0.05).The apoptosis rate in the AD β-catenin group was significantly lower than that in the NC group(P<0.05).Conclusion β-catenin can improve the percentage of CD24+CD44+ESA+cells in primary pancreatic cancer cells,promote sphere-forming ability,enhance cell proliferation,invasion,and migration,and inhibit cell apoptosis,thereby maintaining the malignant biological characteristics of pancreatic cancer stem cells.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from the ethyl acetate fraction of Baccharis trimera(Less.)DC.METHODS The ethyl acetate fraction of B.trimera was isolated and purified by macroporous resin D101,Sephadex LH-20 gel,silica gel and other chromatographic techniques,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.RESULTS Twenty-three compounds were isolated and identified as 15,16-epoxy-15α-methoxy-ent-clerod-3-en-18-oic acid(1),13-epi-15,16-epoxy-15α-methoxy-ent-clerod-3-en-18-oic acid(2),methyltrineracetal(3),epimethyltrineracetal(4),trinerolide(5),15-epitrinerolide(6),18-methylmalonyl-7α-hydroxy-meth-yltrineracetal(7),18-methylmalonyl-7α-hydroxy-epimethyltriner-acetal(8),18-methylmalonyl-methyltrineracetal(9),18-methylmalonyl-epi-methyltrineracetal(10),methy 3,5-dicaffeoylquinate(11),8-dimetho-xyflavone(12),4',7-dihydroxy-5-methoxyflavanone(13),4-(3',4'-dihydroxycinna-moyl)-oxy-methy-lcinnamate(14),3',7-dihydroxy-4',6,8-trimethoxy-flavone(15),erigeroflavanone(16),nepetin(17),4,2',4',β-tetrahydroxy-6'-methoxy-α,β-dihydrochalcone(18),eugeniyl-O-β-D-glucoside(19),7-hydroxyl-5,6,3',4'-tetramethoxylflavone(20),phomoxanthone J(21),18-acetyl-7α-hydroxy-methyltrineracetal(22),18-acetyl-7α-hydroxy-epimethyltrineracetal(23).CONCLUSION Compounds 3-10 and 22-23 are epimers isolated from this plant for the first time.Compounds 11-16,18-21 are first isolated from genus Baccharis.

AIM To compare the in vivo pharmacokinetics of paeoniflorin,paeoniflorin,liquiritin,isoliquiritin,liquiritigenin and glycyrrhizic acid from Shaoyao Gancao Decoction in normal and gastric ulcer rats.METHODS Six rats were randomly assigned into two groups,after which the 75%ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model was established,the gastric tissues were collected.Twelve rats were randomly assigned into two groups and given intragastric administration(9.9 g/kg),after which blood collection was made at different time points,UPLC-MS/MS method was adopted in the determination of plasma concentrations,and main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated.RESULTS Prolonged Tmax(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)of various active constituents,prolonged T1/2,MRT0-t(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),increased Cmax,AUC(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)and decreased Vd/F,CL/F(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)of paeoniflorin,increased Cmax,AUC(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)and decreased CL/F(P＜0.05)of albiflorin,prolonged MRT(P＜0.05),increased AUC(P＜0.05)and decreased CL/F(P＜0.01)of liquiritin,prolonged MRT(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)and decreased Vd/F(P＜0.05)of isoliquiritin,no obviously changed pharmacokinetic parameters(except for Tmax)of liquiritigenin(P＞0.05),and prolonged T1/2,MRT0-∞(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),increased Cmax,AUC(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)and decreased CL/F(P＜0.01)of glycyrrhizic acid were observable in the model group as compared with those in the normal group.CONCLUSION Gastric ulcer exhibits certain influences on the velocities and degrees of in vivo absorption and metabolism of active constituents from Shaoyao Gancao Decoction.

ObjectiveTo explore the impact of Gegen Qinliantang（GQT） on the fecal short-chain fatty acids（SCFAs） metabolism in antibiotic-associated diarrhea（AAD） through targeted metabolomics. MethodA total of 240 SD rats were randomly divided into six groups（n=40， half male and half female）， including blank group， model group， bifidobiogen group（0.15 g·kg^-1）， and GQT high-， medium-， and low-dose groups（10.08， 5.04， 2.52 g·kg^-1）， except for the blank group， clindamycin（250 mg·kg^-1） was given to all groups by gavage for modeling every day for 7 d. After successful modeling， each administered group was gavaged with the corresponding dose of the drug， and the blank and model groups were gavaged with an equal volume of normal saline solution， 1 time/d， for 14 d. At 0， 3， 7， 14 d after the drug intervention， eight rats were randomly selected from each group， respectively. Gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（GC-TOF-MS） was used to perform targeted metabolomic analysis of SCFAs in the feces of rats， and partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） was applied to compare the differences in metabolic profiles between groups at different treatment times， and to compare the changes in the contents of SCFAs in rat feces between groups. ResultPLS-DA results showed that the blank group could be clearly distinguishable from the model group， with GQT exhibiting a closer proximity to the blank group after 7 d of treatment. After further analyzing the composition of SCFAs， it was found that the proportion of acetic acid increased and the proportions of butyric acid， valeric acid， hexanoic acid and isovaleric acid decreased in the model group compared with the blank group. After the treatment with GQT， the proportions of butyric acid， isobutyric acid， valeric acid， and isovaleric acid increased， and the proportions of acetic acid， propionic acid and caproic acid decreased. Subsequent differential analysis revealed that GQT could significantly improve the content of butyric acid， and had a certain retrogressive effect on the contents of valeric acid and hexanoic acid. ConclusionThe medium dose group of GQT can improve the contents of SCFAs in AAD feces after 7 days of treatment， which may be related to the improvement of the composition ratio of SCFAs and the contents of butyric acid， valeric acid and caproic acid.

【Objective】 To summarize the clinicopathological features and prognosis of young patients (18-40 years old) with non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC) treated in a single center to provide reference for the diagnosis and treatment of similar patients. 【Methods】 Clinical data of 113 nccRCC patients treated during Jan. 2012 and Aug. 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 57 males (50.4%) and 56 females (49.6%). The average age of onset was (31.6±5.8) years. Among all patients, 57 had lesions (50.4%) on the left side, and 56 (49.6%) on the right side. Young patients undergoing renal cancer surgery accounted for approximately 12.4% of the total number of renal cancer patients undergoing surgery, and nccRCC accounted for 34.8% of the total number of cases. 【Results】 Minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic or robot-assisted) was performed in 102 cases (90.3%), and open surgery in 11 cases (9.7%). Fifty-five cases (48.7%) underwent partial nephrectomy and 58 (51.3%) radical nephrectomy. Among them, 11 patients (9.7%) developed tumor thrombi. All surgeries were successful with no serious complications. The pathological types included 32 cases (28.3%) of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, 25 cases (22.1%) of MiT family translocation renal cell carcinoma, and 20 cases (17.7%) of papillary renal cell carcinoma. The total proportion of the three pathological subtypes reached 68.1%. After 46 (2-115) months of follow-up, 8 cases (7.8%, 8/102) developed tumor metastasis and 2 died. 【Conclusion】 The nccRCC is rare in young patients. The major pathological type is chromophobe, and the major treatment method is minimally invasive surgery. Most pathological types have good long-term prognosis, while patients with tumor thrombi have a high risk of metastasis and poor prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between humidity exposure and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), utilizing follow-up data and relative humidity (RH) metric assessments. METHODS: We extracted the baseline data from the China Hypertension Survey (CHS) of 24,510 enrolled participants aged ≥ 35 years without a history of CVD between 2012 and 2015 and followed them up from 2018 to 2019. The National Meteorological Information Center (NMIC) of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) provided the quality-controlled relative humidity (RH) datasets. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios ( HRs) for CVD in relation to RH. RESULTS: During the follow-up period (2018-2019), 973 patients with CVD were identified. The HR of CVD risk was 1.17 (95% CI: 1.04-1.31) per 10% increase in summer mean RH. Compared with participants in the 3 ^rd quintile group, those in the 1 ^st and 5 ^th quintiles of RH had a higher risk of CVD. For summer mean RH, the HRs (95% CIs) for the 1 ^st and 5 ^th quintiles were 1.34 (1.04-1.71) and 1.44 (1.14-1.83), respectively. The relationship ("U" shape) between summer mean RH and the risk of CVD was nonlinear. Stratified analyses indicated that the risk of CVD was substantially influenced by the summer mean RH in female, older individuals, and those in southern China. CONCLUSION Unsuitable (too high or low) humidity environments affect the risk of CVD. Our study highlights those future policies for adapting to climate change should consider the humidity-CVD relationship.
Humans ; Humidity/adverse effects* ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Seasons